Farah set for one final double title blast

London – British athletics legend Mo Farah will hope he brings the curtain down on his track career with a third successive double world gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres in London in August.

The 34-year-old, who was named in both events in the British team selection unveiled on Tuesday, will compete on the track where he so memorably won double Olympic gold in 2012 when it was then the Olympic Stadium.

The host nation will be hoping a passionate home crowd will enable a relatively inexperienced team to at least match their 2015 world championship haul of seven medals.

Farah — who began his world gold medal haul with gold in the 5000 in 2011 and silver in the 10000 — is the standout name in the British team with fellow 2012 Olympic champion Greg Rutherford the other proven champion in the squad.

Rutherford, who is also the defending world champion, will hope to have fully recovered from the ankle injury that ruled him out of last Sunday’s Diamond League meeting at the same stadium.

“This feels bigger for us than Rio,” said Neil Black, the performance director for British Athletics.

“We’ve selected some incredibly talented athletes, and in many events there have been some close calls.

“It’s now up to them to grasp this opportunity and produce performances that will make the whole nation proud.”

Of the athleties hoping one day to aspire to such heights the most eye-catching is Scottish distance runner Laura Muir, who will compete in both the 1500m and 5000m.

There was disappointment for sprinter Adam Gemili, who just missed out on a 200m Olympic medal last year, as the 23-year-old paid for his sixth place in the British trials and saw the last spot go to Zharnel Hughes.

Gemili doesn’t miss out altogether as he will compete in the 4x100m relay team.